4/28/2023: Goose Attack!
PLUS: Biden’s Cheat Sheet; Beyonce Takes on the IRS; and Uber Like a Royal
Today is Friday, April 28, 2023.
It is the 118th day of the year.
247 days remain.
WHAT’S ON TAP
A couple from Illinois stumbled upon some ancient McDonald’s wrappers during a recent renovation and a Michigan 7th-grader is being called a hero for his quick thinking. More in HIT LIST.
Lawyers for HUNTER BIDEN have been spotted at the Justice Department and President JOE BIDEN is again over-handled. More in THE SWAMP.
DWAYNE WADE has moved out of Florida and PARIS HILTON will attend the Met Gala for the first time ever. More in SHOWBIZ.
NICK and VANESSA LACHEY’s hosting gig is safe…for now and JADA PINKETT SMITH’s “Red Table Talk” is done. More in CASTING CALL.
An Only Fans star, who aimed to look like KIM KARDASHIAN, has died. More in KARDASH.
Uber has a promotion for riders to travel London just like KING CHARLES. More in ROYALS.
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HIT LIST
The first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft was Bryce Young a quarterback from the University of Alabama.
He was selected by the Carolina Panthers.
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A couple from Crystal Lake, Illinois discovered two McDonald’s hamburger wrappers and some fries inside their bathroom wall during a recent renovation – from 28 years ago.
The wrappers feature the original logo from when the fast food franchise opened in 1995.
As for what the couple plans to do with the find, they told “Today” that they have the items stored in a container which they are willing to part with “for the right price.” [via Today]
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A 7th-grader from Michigan is being called a hero after saving a bus full of students when their driver lost consciousness.
According to the ABC News, Dillon Reeves noticed the bus driver was having some sort of medical emergency while driving kids home from school on Wednesday. Without hesitation, Reeves jumped into action and got the bus stopped to avoid a potentially tragic accident from happening.
As of Thursday afternoon, there was no update on the bus driver’s condition. [via ABC]
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A goose has been attacking undergraduate students at Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus.
According to several victims, the bird stands guard on one of the sidewalks and will charge at anyone attempting to cross its path. One student was seen hiding behind a tree in an effort to escape an attack, while others have been injured trying to flee from the “belligerent” fowl.
After several complaints were made, the school called in Geese Relief, who uses a border collie to scare off these sorts of intruders. The move was a success and the bird has not been seen since, though some students are still fearful it will return. [via NY Post]
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SCHOLARSHIP STORY UPDATE: On Thursday, the story about Louisiana senior Dennis Barnes was updated. He now has over 170 college acceptances and way more than $9 million in scholarships. Also, he is only 16-years-old.
The Guinness Book of World Records has been contacted regarding the impressive accomplishment. [via CNN]
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DEATHS
JERRY SPRINGER has died.
He passed away in Chicago on Thursday after a battle with cancer, according to his rep. A family spokesperson said he had pancreatic cancer.
Springer hosted his profanity-prone self-titled talk show from 1991 to 2018. He also served as the mayor of Cincinnati.
He was 79.
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CAROLYN BRYANT DONHAM, the woman at the center of the EMMETT TILL lynching, has died.
According to Mississippi Today, she passed away Thursday in hospice care after a battle with cancer.
Donham was 21 when she alleged that Till “wolf-whistled” at her while she was working at her family’s grocery store. Her husband and his brother kidnapped the 14-year-old Till at gunpoint, shot him and threw his body into the Tallahatchie River.
She was 88.
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THE SWAMP
Lawyers for HUNTER BIDEN were spotted walking into the Justice Department headquarters in Washington DC on Wednesday.
One insider told CNN that a meeting included Hunter’s camp, tax division officials for the Justice Department, and representatives from Delaware’s US attorney’s office. No word yet or confirmation on particulars, though the meeting was expected, related to Hunter’s possible tax evasion charges. [via CNN]
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President JOE BIDEN was snapped with another note card to help him get through a speaking engagement, much like he and many of his predecessors have used in the past – except this one reveals he had a reporter’s questions ahead of time.
In this case, the card included a picture of Los Angeles Times reporter Courtney Subramanian, with a preview of her question, which had to do with energy policy. [via New York Post]
SPEAKING OF THE MEDIA: Politico has an explanation for why President JOE BIDEN doesn’t frequently take reporters’ questions on his way to the Marine One helicopter, like his predecessor so frequently did: that’s because the chopper powering up is just too noisy.
In a long, fawning piece about Biden’s daily media consumption, Politico laments, “Aides, concerned in part about the president’s ability to hear shouted questions beneath the whir of Marine One’s rotor blades, have tried to limit situations where the president is confronted — and perhaps enticed to engage — by a horde of shouting reporters.”
The same piece also reports that Biden is frustrated that he doesn’t have enough people defending him on cable news shows.
So there’s that. [via Politico]
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Former Vice President MIKE PENCE testified before a grand jury on Thursday related to potential charges against former President DONALD TRUMP for fomenting protests on January 6, 2021.
A special counsel is currently investigating whether to bring criminal charges against Trump.
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BY THE NUMBERS
📈 The DOW added 524 points (1.57%) to close at 33,826 on Thursday. The S&P added 79 points (1.96%) to close at 4,135 and the NASDAQ added 287 points (2.43%) to close at 12,142.
🛢 WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE closed at $74; BRENT CRUDE at $78.
⛽ The national average price of a GALLON OF GAS was $3.63 on Thursday.
₿ BITCOIN rocketed up on Thursday, adding over 4.4% and trading around $29,650.
🛩 There were more than 5,700 FLIGHTS delayed within, into or out of the United States on Thursday and more than 470 such cancellations.
💰 Tonight’s MEGA MILLIONS drawing will be for a $38 million jackpot or a $20.4 million cash payout. Saturday night’s POWERBALL drawing will be for a $51 million jackpot or a $27.1 million cash payout.
SHOWBIZ NEWS
These albums drop today:
Baby Rose, “Through and Through”
Bebe Rexha, “Bebe”
Country Westerns, “Forgive the City”
Del Barber, “Almanac”
Don Letts, “Outta Sync”
Illenium, “Illenium”
Indigo De Souza, “All of This Will End”
Jessie Ware, “That! Feels Good!”
Kip Moore, “DAMN LOVE”
Neev, “Katherine”
Rickie Lee Jones, “Pieces of Treasure”
Ryan Beatty, “Calico”
Smokey Robinson, “GASMS”
Taj Mahal, “Savoy”
Tim Hecker, “No Highs”
Travis Tritt, “Proud of the Country”
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DWAYNE WADE has moved his family out of Florida over what he perceives as policies that will infringe on the rights of his transgender daughter, Zaya.
The former basketball player shared the news during his recent chat with RACHEL NICHOLS on her show “Headliners,” saying “My family would not be accepted or feel comfortable there.”
No word on where the Wade Family has relocated. [via TMZ]
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Those close to ALEC BALDWIN are raising concerns over his recent weight loss.
Insiders told RadarOnline.com that they noticed the pounds seemingly falling off the actor after the fatal shooting on the set of “Rust.” Since then, Baldwin has been spotted with a glucose monitor, which sources say is due to his “history of yo-yo dieting,” “hot temper” and “[poor] eating habits.” In 2012, Baldwin revealed that he was considered pre-diabetic.
As previously reported, charges related to the fatal shooting have been dropped against Baldwin, though prosecutors say that doesn’t mean he is “absolved” of the crime and charges may be refiled. [via RadarOnline]
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BEYONCE is taking on the Internal Revenue Service.
According to Forbes, Bey filed a petition seeking a redetermination of a $2.7 million tax liability handed down by the IRS in Notice of Deficiency for 2018 and 2019.
Per the filing, the IRS stated that Bey owed an additional $805,000 in taxes and over $161,000 in penalties for 2018. For 2019, it states that she owes over $1.4 million in additional taxes and $288,000 in penalties.
Beyonce believes she doesn’t owe them anything because they failed to accept millions of dollars in deductions for “insurance, management fees, legal and professional services, utilities, taxes, depreciation and other expenses.” [via Forbes]
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PARIS HILTON is attending the Met Gala for the first time ever.
Hilton and the late designer KARL LAGERFELD, whose work is the focus of this year’s event, were longtime friends.
Her pal, KIM KARDASHIAN, will also be at Monday’s event, after rumors that no one from the famous family scored an invite this year.
The 2023 Met Gala will take place May 1. [via Page Six]
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While filming the upcoming movie “The Flash,” MICHAEL KEATON asked the director for a special favor.
Reprising his role as Batman, Keaton asked director ANDY MUSCHIETTI if he would take a picture of him for his 6-year-old grandson.
“It was one of those moments where he really showed something was inside that was very emotional,” Muschietti told IGN.
Many may recall that it has been 30 years since Keaton played the caped crusader in 1992’s “Batman Returns.” At that time, Keaton’s own son was a young child, excited about superheroes.
“The Flash” hits theaters this June. [via IGN]
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CASTING CALL
CARA DELEVINGNE has joined the cast of “American Horror Story” for the upcoming 12th season.
News of her casting follows mixed reviews over reports that KIM KARDASHIAN will also appear in the new season.
No details about Delevingne’s character have been revealed, though one source told Deadline that she is a series regular.
Season 12, titled “Delicate,” is expected to debut this fall. [via Deadline]
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Despite immense backlash -- and a petition from fans -- NICK and VANESSA LACHEY will remain hosts of Netflix series “Love Is Blind.”
After the disaster that was the Season 4 reunion, a Change.org petition was started and received more than 40,000 signatures from fans wanting the Lacheys to get the boot.
In addition to the technical difficulties that plagued the reunion show, Vanessa was called out specifically for asking contestants about their baby-making plans.
For now, their jobs appear to be safe. [via ET]
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An R-rated version of author A.A. MILNE’s beloved characters Christopher Robin, Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Owl and Rabbit are being reimagined into an R-rated series.
According to the logline, Christopher Robin is a disillusioned New Yorker navigating his quarter-life crisis with the help of the weird talking animals who live beyond a drug-induced portal outside his apartment complex, the Hundred Acres.
No word on when or where the series could launch. [via Deadline]
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Facebook has pulled the plug on all Facebook Watch originals, including JADA PINKETT SMITH’s “Red Table Talk.”
Since its debut in 2018, “Red Table Talk” has aired 129 episodes over five seasons. It also had about 11 million followers.
According to TMZ, Jada is looking for a new home for the show. [via TMZ]
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THE DAILY KARDASHOPUS
KIM KARDASHIAN-look-alike CHRISTINA ASHTEN GOURKANI has died.
The Only Fans model passed away on April 20 after suffering cardiac arrest. According to a family member, her passing is being “investigated as a homicide related to a medical procedure that took a turn for the worse.”
She was only 34. [via ET]
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WE’LL NEVER BE ROYALS
Rideshare app UBER is getting into the Coronation festivities – from May 3 to 5 at a park outside London, customers can rent a horse-drawn carriage that looks a lot like the one that will transport KING CHARLES the day of his coronation.
Four horses will pull the cart, and two attendants decked out in uniform will drive the carriage.
The special offer will only be available at Dulwich Park for three hours a day each toward the end of next week. [via DailyMail]
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DAY OF THE YEAR
Biological Clock Day
National Cubicle Day
National Arbor Day
National Superhero Day
National Blueberry Pie Day
Global Pay It Forward Day
National Shrimp Scampi Day
Clean Comedy Day
Workers’ Memorial Day
National Hairball Awareness Day
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ON THIS DATE
1789 – The captain of the HMS Bounty and 18 members of his crew are mutinied.
Chief mutineer Fletcher Christian wanted to settle down in the Pacific islands and escaping harsh treatment from Captain William Bligh.
The mutiny itself was bloodless — Bligh and his loyalists were set adrift in a 23-foot skiff with only a pocket watch and quadrant for navigation. After a journey of more than 3600 miles, Bligh arrived in Timor, where he made his way to Britain to report the mutiny.
Some of the mutineers were eventually captured and tried: Three were hanged, four acquitted and another three were pardoned. Fletcher Christian was reportedly murdered by native Tahitians.
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1920 – Bolsheviks take control of Azerbaijan and convert it to a Soviet Socialist Republic.
It was one of the first countries to try to create a formal union of communist governments in 1921, joining the Transcaucasian Soviet Federative Socialist Union — a precursor to the USSR.
After that failed, Azerbaijan formally joined the newly-formed Soviet Union, alongside Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, as Bolshevik influence continued to spread across Asia and Europe.
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1930 – The first nighttime professional baseball game is played.
The Muscogee Indians beat the Independence Producers, 13 to 3.
1,500 attende the game in Independence, Kansas.
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1945 – Benito Mussolini is executed.
The fascist Italian dictator was trying to escape to Spain during the end of World War II with his mistress.
Though he was using an alias and disguise, he was discovered and shot. His body and those of his loyalists were put on display and publicly humiliated.
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1952 - The Treaty of San Francisco kicks in, and officially ends Japan’s status as an imperial power in the Pacific.
It also allocated compensation for victims of Japan’s harsh Prisoner of War camps during World War II, but it was mostly a gesture of goodwill — Japan paid around $7.5 million to the Red Cross.
Some of the islands Japan controlled were to be left to the United States in a trusteeship, but they were soon returned to Japan’s jurisdiction.
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1986 – Two days after the Chernobyl meltdown, the Soviet government publicly admits to the catastrophe – sort of.
A nuclear power plant in Sweden was detecting spiking levels of radiation some 1,000 miles away, drawing attention to the incident. Even with their feet held to the fire, the Soviet regime downplayed the scope of the disaster though, and leveraged it into propaganda about American nuclear accidents, like Three Mile Island.
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2019 – Disney’s Marvel film, “Avengers: Endgame” earns an estimated $1.2 billion worldwide, making it the first film to gross more than $1 billion on opening weekend.
Domestically it raked in $350 million.
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BIRTHDAYS
Austyn Johnson - actress, “The Greatest Showman” & “The Post” - 17
Victoria De Angelis - bassist, Maneskin - 23
Jenna Ushkowitz - actress, “Glee” - 37
Harry Shum Jr. - actor, “Glee” & “Shadowhunters” - 41
Jessica Alba - actress, “Dark Angel” & “Honey” - 42
Drew Scott - TV show host, “Property Brothers” - 45
Jonathan Scott - TV show host, “Property Brothers” - 45
Zoran Korach - actor, “True Blood” & “ Shameless” - 45
Penelope Cruz - actress, “Blow” & “All the Pretty Horses” - 49
Too Short - rapper - 57
John Daly - golfer - 57
Jay Leno - comedian & TV show host, “The Tonight Show” - 73
Ann Margret - actress, “Viva Las Vegas” & “Bye Bye Birdie” - 82
Born On This Date
Saddam Hussein - President of Iraq - 1937 (d. 2006)
Caroline Jones - actress, “Addams Family” - 1930 (d. 1983)
Harper Lee - novelist, “To Kill a Mockingbird” - 1926 (d. 2016)
Ferruccio Lamborghini - Entrepreneur, creator of the Lamborghini - 1916 (d. 1993)
Lionel Barrymore - actor, “It’s A Wonderful Life” - 1878 (d. 1954)
James Monroe - 5th POTUS - 1758 (d. 1831)
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